The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) announced the 2022 NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad Thursday afternoon. The St. Mary’s College of Maryland field hockey team had 11 of their players named to the National Academic Squad.
The Seahawk contingent was part of over 1,700 student-athletes from 157 schools to be selected to the National Academic Squad. The NFHCA National Academic Squad program, sponsored by OPA Winning Teams, honors collegiate student-athletes who have achieved a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or higher through the first semester of the current academic year, and were nominated by their NFHCA member coach.
Representing St. Mary’s College were:
- Seniors Maggie Howells (New Freedom, Pa./Susquehannock) and Celina Kaufman (Queenstown, Md./Kent Island),
- Juniors Audrey Dickens (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) and Anna Eaton (Silver Spring, Md./James Hubert Blake),
- Sophomores Bryce Carlin (Baltimore, Md./Friends School), Jill Hayden (Abell, Md./Chopticon), Charlotte Horn (Schnecksville, Pa./Northeastern Lehigh), and Jillian Mazingo (Queesnstown, Md./Queen Anne’s County),
- And first-years Ally Rice (Frederick, Md./Oakdale), Jena Vanskiver (Fallston, Md./Fallston), and Emma Watkins (Frederick, Md./Linganore).
Johns Hopkins University and Middlebury College had the most National Academic Squad selections this year with 24 student-athletes on the list. Washington and Lee University had the third-most National Academic Squad selections this year, placing 23 student-athletes on the list while Smith College had the fourth-most with 22 student-athletes on the list.
Appearing on the list for the fourth time are 277 student-athletes, including Howells and Kaufman.
Since 2000, St. Mary’s College has earned 276 National Academic Squad selections.
St. Mary’s College (13-4) posted an undefeated league record of 6-0 to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic East Conference Championship Tournament for the second year in a row. The Seahawks also matched a program-high in wins with 13, equaling the 13 wins achieved in 2019. St. Mary’s finished as the conference tournament runners-up, falling 3-0 to Cabrini University in the championship game (Nov. 5).